In this lesson, Rebbe Nachman warns us not to fall from our Yiddishkeit when we’re around non-Jews. At first glance, it seems like this teaching of hisorerus doesn’t belong in the sefer Meshivas Nefesh, which is a collection of ideas of chizuk and encouragement.
However, the truth is that these words of hisorerus are the main foundation that makes it possible for us to receive the messages of chizuk of the tzaddikim. Why is it that we can know many concepts of encouragement—that we have good points, Hashem is very proud of us, and so on—but even so, practically speaking, we’re unable to be happy? The reason is that the spiritual power we need to strengthen ourselves is entirely dependent on being careful not get drawn after the false charm of the non-Jews and their behavior, as we will explain.
More Power than the Angels
This lesson comes from Likutei Mohoran I, 244, where Rebbe Nachman explains why a person must be especially careful not to lose his connection to Yiddishkeit when he’s involved with non-Jews. He says that, in truth, this entire world is such a great spiritual danger that even the holy angels of Heaven can’t withstand its tests. However, every Jew has much greater power than the angels to attach himself to Hashem even amidst the darkness of the physical realm. Nonetheless, being around non-Jews makes this challenge much more difficult. Therefore, in such situations, a person must guard himself very carefully to be like a hard, impenetrable rock and not lose his level of Yiddishkeit.
From this teaching, we learn the foundation of being strong throughout all of life’s tests: we must know very clearly that we have more power than angels, since we can attach ourselves to Hashem even from the darkest places. But Rebbe Nachman warns us that this chizuk is dependent on protecting ourselves when we’re around non-Jews, since in such situations, we can easily forget completely about our amazing spiritual strength to be close to Hashem in every place in this world.
Remembering the Virtues of Being Jewish
When a person lives in a place that is surrounded by the kedushah of Yiddishkeit—a place where people have simple emunah, dress modestly, value the true chein of the Torah, and so on—even though he might still go through many spiritual struggles, it is possible for him to awaken himself to remember that he has more power than angels. Through this, he can find the strength to renew himself whenever he falls.
On the other hand, if someone must spend a lot of time with non-Jews, he can unknowingly be drawn after their charm. He hears them speak empty words that are mixed with heretical beliefs in the power of the laws of nature, the attraction of chasing after the foul temptations of this world, and so on. This puts him in danger of losing his feeling for the sweet chein of Yiddishkeit. He can easily lose sight of the difference between a Jew who has the ability to rectify all the higher and lower realms, and a goy who lives a materialistic life without any connection to the ultimate purpose of Creation. And the more he is influenced by the goyim the harder it is for him to truly receive words of chizuk in his heart and apply them to his life.
Therefore, Rebbe Nachman warns us that whenever we’re in such situations, we must make a special effort to remember that we have greater power than angels to transform all the darkness of this world into deveikus in Hashem simply because we’re Jews.
The Challenges of Today’s World
This struggle is perhaps more common today than ever before. The danger of the influence of the non-Jews is very prevalent now due to the spread of new technology and forms of communication. We are surrounded by newspapers, radio stations, and so on, that blast heretical beliefs and the attraction of the false charm of this world. Everywhere we turn there are advertisements that glorify the clothing, careless attitude, and animalistic behavior of secular society, which can cause us to lose our emunah and our feeling for the kedushah of Yiddishkeit.
With this, we can easily understand why this lesson of hisorerus was included in Meshivas Nefesh. A person must know this fundamental concept: if he’s not careful to guard himself from the negative influence of the non-Jews, he can easily forget about the amazing power he has to attach himself to Hashem even in the darkness of this world. Similarly, he can find it difficult to strengthen himself to be happy by applying all the amazing advice of the tzaddikim.
Therefore, we must awaken our hearts to search for the kedushah of Yiddishkeit and remember that we have greater power than the angels to give Hashem amazing nachas with every good thought we think and every mitzvah we perform.
L’Ma’aseh—Practically Speaking:
Every Jew can strengthen himself to attach himself to Hashem even when he’s involved in the physical world, but this is dependent on being careful to remember the difference between Jews and goyim and avoid the negative influence of secular culture. Through this, he will easily be able to find comfort and joy in all the words of chizuk that are brought down in the sefarim hakedoshim.
